Cutter unit attachment and ejectment means for electric dry shaver



Nov. 26, 1963 D R LocKE 3,111,754

CUTTER UNIT ATTAHMNT AND EJECTMENT MEANS FOR ELECTRIC DRY sHAvER Filed Jan. 9, 1961 y /0 ga/INVENTOR. a4 wa ,e OCA/f Arron/wxs United States, Patent C) 3,111,754 CUTTER UNIT ATTACHMENT AND EJECTMENT MEANS FOR ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER David R. Locke, Bridgeport, Conn., assigner to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 81,583 Claims. (Cl. S0-41) This invention relates to a cutter unit mounting for electric dry Shavers.

The invention provides a shaver casing lformed to support a cutter unit in a recess in one side with latch means for ldetachably retaining the cutter unit in the recess and resilient means -for projecting the cu-tter unit out of the recess when the latch means releases the cutter unit.

The invention provides a shaver having a cutter unit using a leaf spring between the inner movable cutter and the operating means for reciprocating the movable cutter to normally maintain the cutters in cutting engagement .in which the spring is also used to project the cutter unit outwardly from a seat portion o-n the shaver casing when latch means normally retaining the cutter unit in operative position on the casing is released.

This invention provides for an arrangement of means whereby the cutter unit is mounted on the shaver operating means and its supporting section within the shaver casing in such a manner that it may be released and partially ejected `:from its seat within the shaver casing and from the operating means by the manual disengagement of a spring actuated latch acting in combination with other resilient means.

The advantage of such a construction aords the cutter unit greater protection and permits comb rollers to be economically mounted on the upper wall portions `of the shaver casing. In the past it has been necessary to mount comb rollers on separate hair pocket casing sections or other supporting parts which are detachably mounted beside the cutter unit and connected by various methods to the main shaver casing. The hair pocket section must be tirst removed or opened to permit access to the cutter unit in order to remove it `for cleaning or repair. The present invention provides for a construction that eliminates the need for a separate hair pocket casing section since the hair pockets are ,formed `from the engagement of the -two casing sections that enclose both the operating means and the cutter unit.

This invention provides tor simple removal of the cutter unit without grasping the cutter unit and eliminates possible injury to the cutters. The casing may also be constructed to entirely surround the cutter unit which may be removed `from the shaver casing without using manual pressure `dur-ing removal.

The invention contains a number of other features involved in the structure of the latch mechanism with its various parts that will be hereinafter described in the following speci'lic description an-d claims.

ln the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a vfragmentary cross section of a shaver taken longitudinal-ly through the cutter unit seated in the recess in the shaver casing.

FIG. 2 is similar to FlG. l showing the latch in release position `and the unit partially ejected `from the shaver casing.

FIG. 3 is a plan View of the assembled shaver casing with the cutter unit removed illustrating the latch construction.

=FIG. 4 is a vertical cross section taken on line 4 4 of FIG. l.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the cutter unit showing the latch parts on the cutter unit.

3\,lll,754 Patented Nov. 26, 1963 fr ICC The present invention provides a shaver casing made in two opposite casing sections, l1 and 2 respectively. Each casing section 1 and 2. is termed oppositely tothe other of molded plastic material and has a sidewall 3 and laterally extending sidewalls 4 projecting in the same direction from sidewall 3. Sidewal-ls 4 on casing section 1 are constructed so that the free edges of sidewalls 4 on section 1 will engage the free edges of sidewalls 4- of section 2 in opposed registering rel-ation. When sections 1 and 2 of the shaver case are assembled they cooperate to provide a complete shaver casing.

At one side each section of the shaver case is provided with a partition wall S. Partition wall 5 in each section is formed with an aperture 6. Partition wall 5 separates the motor compartment 7 formed in the shaver casing from the cutter head receptacle 8 opening outwardly through one side of the shaver casing.

A shaver motor diagrammatically indicated iat 9 of any conventional type is mounted in motor compartment '7 between sidewalls 3 and 4 of the casing. The motor has cutter oscillating arms 1t) projecting outwardly from the motor thro-ugh aperture o in partition `wall 5- into cutter head receptacle ii. Screws or other suitable means may be used to secure the two casing sections together in a manner well known in the art in which the assembled casing sections will completely house the motor tor shaving operation `of the cutter head assembly mounted in cutter head receptacle d.

Sections 1 and 2 of the shaver casing vare formed at the botto-1n ends of cutter head receptacle `8 with sea-t 11 on which the lower end portion of the cutter head unit 12 is engaged in the attached position on the casing, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Seats 11 `are spaced outwardly from partition wall '5, as shown in FG. 1, and casing sections 1 and 2 are formed with recesses 13 extending outwardly from the cutter head receptacle immediately above seat 11 to provide hair pockets `for receiving and containing out hair during operation of cutter head unit 12. Cutter unit 12 is composed of two cutter heads 14 secured to mounting plate 15. Mounting plate 15' has a central opening 16 formed therein registering with openings in the bottom of the stationary cutter elements through which oscillating arms l@ may pass so that the free ends engage in the loop portions of cutter drive springs 17, one in each cutter head, lwhen the cutter unit i12 is assembled and retained on seat 11, .as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Mounting plate 15 has latch projections 18- :forrned in the central portion thereof and projecting inwardly toward each other in opening 16. The free ends of latch projections 18 are offset to one side of plate 15 in a direction opposite to the cutter heads mounted thereon, as .shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in order to project toward partition wall 5 when the cutter head unit is mounted on seat 11 in cutter hea-d receptacle S.

Casing section 1 of the shaver case, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, has partition wall 5 and the side portion 4 of the shaver case section formed with a channel indicated at 19 in FIG. 4 for slidably receiving the -at strip portion 20 forming par-t of the latch construction for retaining cutter head unit 12 in cutter head receptacle 8. This channel 19 extends from opening `6 along the portion of partition wall Sat the inner end of cutter head receptacle y8 through the adjacent portion of casing sidewall 4 into push-button recess 21 slidably housing push-button 22 detachably mounted on the end of latch strip 2t). Pushbutton recess 21 has portions formed in both sections 1 and 2 of the shaver casing while partition wall 5 has the portions on both sections or the shaver casing formed with portions of channel 19 cooperating to slid-ably receive mounting strip 201for slidable movement in partition 5 upon movement by push-button 22 which has the outer end projecting outwardly beyond sidewall 4, as shown in FIG. 1. The inner end of latch strip 20 is formed with a hooked end forming ya latch finger 23. Latch finger 23 projects in angular relation and into the bottom end of cutter head receptacle 8 in the central portion thereof for engaging between the ends of latch projections 18 through opening 16 for subsequent movement to engage the end of latch projection 23 over the end of one of latch projections 18 for detachably retaining cutter head unit 12 firmly engaged on seat 11 in operative position on the shaver, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

The latch stript, push-button and latch projections are normally operated in one direction by compression spring 24 adjacent to the outer end of latch strip 20 between the inner end of push-button recess 21 and the inner end of push-button 22, as shown in FIG. 1. This movement of the latch mechanism, including latch strip 20 and latch projection 23, retains latch projection 23 in a position to normally overlie one of the latch projections 18 on mounting plate for firmly retaining cutter head unit 12 in operative position in cutter head receptacle 8. Push-button 22 is normally retained with the outer end projecting youtwardly beyond the outer side of sidewall 4 of the shaver casing, as shown in FIG. 1, in position to be pressed inwardly by manual operation, as shown in FIG. 2, to release or disengage latch projection 23 from engagement with latch projections 18 so cutter head unit 12 can be removed from receptacle 8. Movement of latch projection 23, latch strip 201 and push-button 22 is limited by having stop projections 25 formed on, and projecting outwardly from the sides of push-button 22, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for engagement with shoulders 26 formed lat the outer end of the enlarged portion of push-button recess 21. In this way, the outward movement of the latch mechanism obtained by compression spring 24 is limited so that push-button 22 and latch projection 23 are located in proper positions to have latch projection 213 retain cutter unit 12 in the receptacle and push-button 22 project outwardly to extend suliiciently for manual operation to release latch 23 vfrom latch projections 18.

Partition wall 5 of shaver casing section 1 has the inner edge portion under latch strip 2t? formed with a projection 27 and the inner edge portion of partition wall 5 of casing section 2 has .the partition wall cut -away opposite projection 27 to accommodate the projection so that the upper surface of projection 27 at the ybottom of channel 19 provides a support throughout the width of latch strip 20. Retaining clip 28 is of U-shaped construction, having an enlarged plate section engaged over the top portion of latch strip and the adjacent outer wall portion of partition wall 5 in casing section 1 While the remainder of the U-shaped retaining clip is` in the form of a narrow strip extending around the inner edgey of partition wall 5 and engaging the opposite surface of the partition wall for slidably retaining the inner end of latch strip 20' engaged in channel 19. The portion of partition wall 5 of shaver casing section 2 opposite to latch strip 20 and clip 28, as above mentioned, receives both projection 27 and clip 2S so these parts-are retained in properly assembled position when the casing sections are secured together. The plate section on retaining clip 28 has one edge adapted to lie adjacent to the inner sidewall 4 of casing section 1 forming one end of cutter head receptacle 8 at the side provided with push-button recess 21. This construction of the clip facilitates its insertion over partition wall 5 in proper position to retain latch strip 20 slidably engaged in channel 19.

It will be noted that sidewalls 3 of both casing sections 1 and 2 extend upwardly and form the outer side of cutter head receptacle 8, as shown in FIG. 4. Combing rollers 30 are provided yat each side of the cutter head unit, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Each combing roller is rotatably mounted at opposite ends on the arms of supporting plate 31 slidably mounted on the inside of one sidewall 3 of the casing section in cutter head receptacle 8, as shown in FIG. 4. Suitable adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of a supporting plate 31 on sidewall 3 is operated by button 32, one for each sidewall for adjusting one of the plates y31. The details `of construction of this roller supporting and adjusting mechanism are not shown since they do not form part of the present invention. The structure is illustrated for the purpose of showing that the sides and ends of the cutter head unit are substantially covered by the casing walls 3 and 4 and plates 31 with rollers 30, except for the outer cutting surface or skin engaging surface of the cutter heads.

With this type of shaver construction where the sides and ends yof the cutter unit 4are enclosed, it will be clear that some diiculty would be experienced in manually removing the cutter head unit from cutter head receptacle -3 in the side of the casing. The present invention therefore provides a construction to secure ready removal of the cutter head unit from the shaver casing. This is obtained by lthe above described "construction in which the latch construction, including latch projection 23, normally holds the cutter head unit engaged on seat 11 in receptacle 8 in operative position for shaving. Latch projection 23 engages over one of the latch projections 18 on mounting plate 15 in obtaining this mounting of the cutter head unit on the shaver. When the cutter head unit is assembled into the position shown in FIG. 1 in latched operative position on the shaver, it will be noted that `during application of the cutter head unit to the shaver, the ends of oscillator arms 1G will project through aperture 6 and opening 16. The ends of oscillator arms 10 will engage in the loop portions of cutter drive springs 17 and compress these springs toward the outer ends of the cutter heads to resiliently retain each inner cutter member in cutting cooperation with the outer cutter member. Cutter drive springs 17 not only maintain the inner cutters in cutting engagement with the outer cutters but also serve to transmit the oscillating motion of oscillator arms 10 to reciprocate the inner cutters relative to the outer cutters to perform` the shaving operation in the use of the shaver. The .present invention also uses these cutter drive springs 17 for ejecting the cutter head unit 12 from receptacle 8 when button 22 is pushed inwardly lfrom the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 `to disengage latch projection 23 from latch projection 18. The tension of cutter drive springs 17 will eject the cutter head unit outwardly from receptacle 8, as shown in FIG. 2, for removal from the shaver casing. By having the springs project 'the cutter head unit outwardly from receptacle 8 in the shaver casing, the necessity for grasping the cutter head unit and pulling it out `from its engaged `position in the casing is eliminated and possible damage to the shaver head unit in removal is 'also eliminated since the springs will project the head unit outwardly so they can be loosely received in ones hand. In this way, pressure on the heads which might damage the cutter mechanism is eliminated.

The cutter head unit is easily replaced in receptacle 8 by sliding it into the 'open end of receptacle 8y in the casing sidewall while latch mechanism is held in release position, as shown in FIG. 2. When the cutter head unit has engaged seat portions 11 on the casing, release of the latch mechanism by releasing button 22 will then allow spring 24 to operate latch projection 23 to engage latch projection 18 on the cutter head unit. The formation of latch projection 23 in angular or inclined relation with respect to latch projections 18 obtains a camming action for drawing the cutter unit 12 lirmly against the seat portions 11 in retaining the cutter head unit in operative position on the shaver casing.

The latch mechanism. is constructed so that compression spring 24 is located in a cutout portion 3S formed in latch strip 20 in the portion located in push-button recess 21, see FIG. 3. The inner end of push-button 22 is slotted and provided with a shoulder portion at the inner end of the slot to receive the angled end as shown in FIG. 3 in engagement with the shouldered portion for retaining push-button 22 and latch strip 20 rigidly interengaged with one yanother for movement of latch strip 20 upon operation of push-button 22. Coil spring 24 engages the inner end of push-button 22 at one side of latch strip 20, las shown in FIG. 3, and has a portion of the spring lying in cutout portion 35 as illustrated. This construction facilitates the assembly of the push-button 22, coil spring 24 and latch strip 20 on the shaver casing. Assembly of these parts is obtained when the casing sections are disassembled `and separated from one another. Latch strip 29 is assembled in channel 19 in casing section 1 while spring 24 and button 22 assembled on latch strip 20 are engaged in the portion of push-button recess 21 formed in casing section 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When these parts are engaged in position in casing section 1, retaining clip 28 is then slipped over latch strip 20 into the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 :for retaining the latch mechanism in assembled position on section 1. Then, when the motor is assembled in the casing in the position indica-ted, the casing sections can be assembled together by placing Icasing section 2 in its position against casing section 1 at which time the casing section 2 will receive latch bu-tton 22 and latch strip 20 in the channel and push-button recess `and retain the parts in assembled relation when `secured lto casing section 1 to form a complete shaver casing enclosing the motor and latch mechanism.

It will be understood that whenever the cutter head unit is removed from cutter head `receptacle 8, the hair cuttings contained in hair pocket recesses 113 may be cleaned `out by blowing or by use of a brush.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an electric dry shaver,

(a) a casing having a cutter unit supporting seat disposed interiorly of the casing,

(b) a cutter unit having a portion disposed on said supporting seat and having a cutting surface substantially flush with the exterior walls of the casing,

(c) resilient means biasing said cutter unit in a direction away from said supporting seat and outwardly of the casing,

(d) a rst latch member on said cutter unit,

y(e) a second latch member mounted for translatory movement in said casing to engage said first l-atch member on said cutter unit and restrain said cutter unit from movement in ia direction outwardly of said casing when engaged with `said rst latch member,

(f) spring means for retaining said second latch member engaged with said first latch member,

(g) 'and manually operable means to move said second latch member 'against the effect of said spring means to unlatched position,

(h) said second latch member in unlatched position disengaging said rst latch member `and permitting operation of said resilient means to effect movement of said cutter unit in a direction away from said supporting seat.

2. In an electric dry shaver,

(a) a casing formed with a cutter head receptacle having a supporting seat at the inner end thereof,

(b) a cutter unit having cutter elements,

(c) a mounting plate supporting said cutter elements,

(d) said cutter unit disposed in said cutter head receptacle with said mounting plate engaging said supporting seat,

(e) resilient means biasing said cutter unit in a direction outwardly of said cutter head receptacle,

(f) a latch projection on said mounting plate,

(g) a channel formed in the shaver,

(It) a latch member formed of an elongated strip mounted for slidable translatory movement in said channel,

(i) one end of said strip being formed to engage the said latch projection on said mounting plate and restraining said cutter unit from movement in an outward direction,

(j) the opposite end of said strip projecting outwardly relative to one side of said casing,

(k) an operating button mounted on said opposite end ot said strip for effecting manual operation of said latch member strip to latched and unlatched positions,

(l) and spring means retaining said latch member in latched position,

(m) said latch member in unlatched position permitting operation of said resilient means to effect movement of said cutter unit in said outward direction from said cutter head receptacle.

3. The electric dry shaver of claim 2 wherein the slidable latch member and the casing are provided with compiementary parts cooperating to limit translatory movement of said slidable latch member relative to said casing upon movement of said latch member.

4. The electric dry shaver of claim 2 wherein a U- shaped clip is provided having a rst arm detachably engaged with the casing and having a second arm embracing the strip portion of said slidable latch member to detachably retain said slidable latch in slidable relation on said casing.

5. The electric dry shaver of claim 2 wherein the said opposite end of the slidable latch member and said operating button are formed with complementary interengaging detachable portions for attaching said operating button to said slidable latch member, and said spring means engaged between said operating button and said casing to retain said slidable latch member in engagement with said latch projection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,232,119 Landsiedel Feb. 8, 1941 2,562,104 Kobler et al. July 24, 1951 2,758,370 Gray et al Aug. 14, 1956 2,793,430 Carissimi May 28, 1957 2,844,869 Kahn July 29, 1958 3,003,233 Van Baelen Oct. 10 1961 

1. IN AN ELECTRIC DRY SHAVER, (A) A CASING HAVING A CUTTER UNIT SUPPORTING SEAT DISPOSED INTERIORLY OF THE CASING, (B) A CUTTER UNIT HAVING A PORTION DISPOSED ON SAID SUPPORTING SEAT AND HAVING A CUTTING SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE EXTERIOR WALLS OF THE CASING, (C) RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID CUTTER UNIT IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID SUPPORTING SEAT AND OUTWARDLY OF THE CASING, (D) A FIRST LATCH MEMBER ON SAID CUTTER UNIT, (E) A SECOND LATCH MEMBER MOUNTED FOR TRANSLATORY MOVEMENT IN SAID CASING TO ENGAGE SAID FIRST LATCH MEMBER ON SAID CUTTER UNIT AND RESTRAIN SAID CUTTER UNIT FROM MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION OUTWARDLY OF SAID CASING WHEN ENGAGED WITH SAID FIRST LATCH MEMBER, (F) SPRING MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID SECOND LATCH MEMBER ENGAGED WITH SAID FIRST LATCH MEMBER, (G) AND MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS TO MOVE SAID SECOND LATCH MEMBER AGAINST THE EFFECT OF SAID SPRING MEANS TO UNLATCHED POSITION, (H) SAID SECOND LATCH MEMBER IN UNLATCHED POSITION DISENGAGING SAID FIRST LATCH MEMBER AND PERMITTING OPERATION OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS TO EFFECT MOVEMENT OF SAID CUTTER UNIT IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID SUPPORTING SEAT. 